


Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

by Flyting



Category: Jessica Jones (TV)
Genre: Christmas fic, Gen, Kilgrave ruins everything, Vague Creepiness, especially Christmas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 08:34:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5532719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flyting/pseuds/Flyting
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"You'd like to invite me in."</i>
</p><p>AKA: The man who came to Christmas dinner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas, everyone! Written while listening to Chase Holfelder's cover of 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'.

Christmas in Nantucket was a holiday card come to life. All snow-covered hills and quaint little shops and gingerbread-perfect houses strung up with lights. There was a light in every window. Smoke rising from every chimney.

When the snow fell in thick, soft flakes that stuck to your hair, time just seemed to stop. It was perfection. Like living in a snowglobe.

It’s past seven when the doorbell rings at the Graham household.

Linda Graham hurries to answer it, cutting off her sister Helen in the middle of a story she’s heard a dozen times anyway. She could tell the punchline herself at this point: “ _So finally I just said, ‘David, if you want both just get both!‘“_

She wracks her brain, trying to figure out who’s still missing from the party. Her daughter Beth was in the den, watching the game with her father and little sister. Helen was there, of course, with David and their three boys. Nana and Pop had been the first to arrive. And Aunt Diane was in the kitchen, helping put the finishing touches on the roast.

So who was at the door?

The bell rings again, buzzing impatiently.

Straightening her necklace, Linda cracks open the door to reveal a tall, skinny man she’s never seen before. His hair and scarf are spotted with snow.

“Hello?” she says.  
  
“Hello!” he smiles. “Merry Christmas.”  
  
“Merry Christmas!”  
  
“I like your house. All the lights- the wreath- it’s just gorgeous.” He has an accent she can’t quite place. English maybe. She never could tell.

She preens at the compliment. Linda Graham took more than a little pride in her Christmas decorating every year. “Well, thank you! Was there anything I could help you with?”  
  
“You’d like to invite me in.”  
  
Of course- where were her manners? The poor thing must be freezing! “I’m sorry! Please, come in-“ She steps back, letting him into the foyer. He shakes the snow off of his shoes and all over her polished oak hardwood floor.  
  
“Do- do I know you?” Linda stammers.

He smiles at her again, flashing pointed white teeth. “Of course you know me. I’m family. You invited me over for Christmas.”

As soon as the words are out of his mouth she remembers. She can see herself filling out the invitation as clear as if it were yesterday.

“My God! I’m so sorry, darling!” she laughs, nervously.

He stiffens when she pulls him into a fluttery, one-armed hug. How rude he must think she is- to not remember her own... he was her cousin, wasn't he? Although she could have sworn Aunt Diane didn’t have any children. He must be related to Uncle Charles. Now that was odd, why couldn’t she remember? …Well she certainly wasn’t going to ask him. Someone in the house would recognize him, and she could just pretend she'd known all along. She had already made enough of a fool of herself.

“Is dinner ready? Take this,” he says, shrugging out of his coat and handing it to her. “I’m starving.”

“Yes, although…“ She trails off, something in his tone making the words stick in her throat. Still, some of the men had wanted to wait until the football game was over to eat.

“Good. Go set another place at the table. We’ll eat first, then we’ll open presents.”

She smiles. “That sounds just perfect. Come right this way.“ Linda says, draping the coat over her arm and ushering the man into the living room. Won’t the rest of the family be surprised to see him.


End file.
